Testing conflicting scenarios--a role for simulation experiments in damage analysis of clothing

Damage to clothing is commonly encountered in serious crimes of violence such as homicide and rape. Examination of damage to clothing and other textiles may provide valuable information as to the possible implement that caused the damage and the manner in which it was caused. Damage analysis may corroborate or refute a particular crime scenario. This report describes two recent cases examined at the Victoria Forensic Science Centre laboratory where opposing views as to the origin of the damage to the clothing of the victim were proposed. The results confirm the value of simulation experiments mimicking each case scenario. They also demonstrate that it may not be possible to unequivocally choose between opposing scenarios because of limitations inherent in damage analysis.